Motto Text 2025

Encourage & Build!

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV84)

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Another Covenant Service - another opportunity to rededicate and recommit!

but hopefully not routinely or with heavy hearts for ideally the longer we have walked with Jesus, the more we anticipate the goodness of God:

“All my life you have been faithful. All my life you have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able. I will sing of the goodness of God.”

And that’s a challenge for us who have been walking with Jesus now for many years, for as Howard Hendricks once said: "people who have been Christians for a long time and are more than fifty years old should be the most excited, committed, pure, servant–like people in a church. The very energy of a church ought to come from them. They should be on the forefront in evangelism and prayer. Why? Because they’ve lived with God the longest. They’ve applied the Word to their lives for so long that they’ve become more obedient and mature than those who have been Christians for only a few years.”

Our Motto Text this years comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

The Church at Thessalonica presents us with an excellent example of Church at its best! - 1 Thess. 1:5-10

1 Thessalonians 1:5–10 (NIV84)

because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

We can learn so much from such a Church but today our focus on what they were doing to support one another in their walk with Jesus.

They remind us of two essential ingredients for perseverance in the Christian life of Discipleship - the call to ENCOURAGE one another and the importance of EDIFYING one another: “encourage one another and build each other up” - Two things which help us in our desire to BE WITH JESUS; BECOME LIKE JESUS and DO WHAT JESUS DID!

In this verse we have:

1. We are to ENCOURAGE one another!

Encouragement is an important gift in the Christian life - Romans 12:7-8 “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

Encouragment is likewise something that arises from our being untied with Christ in faith and love. Philippians 2:1-4 “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Think of what you have received in Jesus by being “united to Him”:

Your have received “comfort from His love”.

Your have received “fellowship with the Spirit.”

Your have received “tenderness and compassion.”

And as a result of what we have received in Christ, we need to resolve to pull together which is why Paul makes such a strong call to unity in Christ - “then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. (v. 2).

And in resolving to pull together they were to resist selfish attitudes and actions - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit… (v. 3a) Why? Because selfishness is a form of self-love and it is the opposite of the sacrificial love that Jesus models for us. Selfishness destroys the unity of the Church, as James confirms saying, “Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that war within you.”(James 4:1 NCV) At its core, selfishness is the antithesis of what God is. Selfishness is self-centredness and God’s love is selfless and sacrificial.

So in place of selfishness we adopt HUMILITY - “in humility consider others better than yourselves. (v. 3b) -”Love each other as brothers and sisters and honour others more than you do yourself (Romans 12:10 CEV) and we refocus on the deeds of others - Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others”(v. 4). And in doing this we become like Jesus who is a very tangible and practical way demonstrated His sacrificial service and encourages us to do the same!(vs 6:11)

Encouragement is at heart a practical thing! It’s not just saying it is doing! It is not just words; its action: 1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

A person who did this in the New Testament was Barnabas!

Imagine, if you were given a name which reflected your personality, what would it be? What name and/or adjective would sum up who you really are? - “Honest John”; “Perfect Peter”, etc.

In the Bible names were often used in the same way - a name was often given to a person in order to reveal his character, personality or destiny. For example, Abraham means “Father of Multitudes,” Jacob means “Swindler,” Peter means “Rock,” and Nabal means “Fool” whilst Naomi means “Pleasant”, and of course, Jesus means Saviour! etc.

Now, Barnabas was given an excellent name – “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”(Acts 4:36-37).

Joseph was itself an excellent name meaning, “God will increase” or “add” but here is is re-named by the Apostles for his spiritual gift. Barnabas means “Son of Encouragement” and this was partly because among other things he “sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.” (Acts 4:36-37). Barnabus was named for his spiritual gift because it perfectly reflected his character.

Let’s look at his spiritual gift.

When Paul in Romans 12:8 says, “If it (a person’s gift) is encouraging, let him encourage.” he deploys an interesting Greek word, parakaleo a compound word made up of the preposition παρά (think parallel lines) meaning “alongside of” and καλέω, a verb meaning “to call.” So, parakaleo means “to call alongside of” in the sense of coming to the aid or assisting someone in need. Think for example of someone struggling with heavy baggage at an airport or train station and you come alongside and offer to carry a case for them. That’s a parakaleo, coming alongside another person to help them in their moment of need.

Now those of your more theologically aware may have already mentally noted that parakaleo sounds very like the Greek word paraclete - παρά and noun form of καλέω, κλητός, “the called” - the Greek word used in John 14:16 for the Holy Spirit, translated “Counsellor” or “Comforter” and in I John 2:1 for the Lord Jesus Christ, translated “Advocate.” In the first case, the idea is that the Holy Spirit is uniquely called alongside to give us strength to live the Christian life and in the latter case, it means that the Lord Jesus is uniquely called to advocate or speak up in our defense when we sin and need forgiveness and cleansing from sin.

Putting all of this together, when we as Christians encourage one another, we are moved by the Holy Spirit and prompted by the love of Jesus to arise and support and help of our brothers and sister’s in Christ and in so doing we are doing the will of God the Father in the same way as the Holy Spirit and Jesus do when they comfort and defend us in our time of need. Lifting the load from someone; helping them carry what is too heavy for them to bear alone!

This has a practical application for example!

We have a duty and a responsibility in relation to one another to love, nurture, serve and care for one another in an atmosphere of trust, acceptance and accountability.

And think of Paul who wrote 1 Thessalonians and provided us with our Motto Text. This might never have happened had Barnabas not encouraged Paul when he was feared and distrusted by the Church. see Acts 9:26-27

Acts 9:26–27 (NIV84)

When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.

The early church looked at Saul and saw a problem; Barnabas looked at him and saw incredible potential. The early church was haunted by his past; Barnabas saw his future. They focused on what Saul had been; Barnabas saw what he could be, insisting on believing the best about Saul and not holding his past against him.

Let us learn from Barnabas and be encouragers who see potential, who look to the future, who focus on what people might become given time and the power of the Holy Spirit. And this is especially important when we welcome new people among us, encouraging them; welcoming them; making them feel at home regardless of their past or their status or personal or socio-economic factors.

So, then let us value the gift of encouragment and fulfil the mandate of Hebrews 3:13, “But encourage one another day after day.”

And to put flesh on this, just consider some of the upwards of 59 “one another” commands in the New Testament which can be categorised in this way

(i). Encourage one another daily by LOVING your brothers and sisters in Christ!

“Love one another…” (John 13:34;35;15:12;15:17;Rom 13:8;1 Thes 4:9;1Pet 3:8;4:8;1Jn 3:11;3:23;4:7;4:11:4:12; 2 Jn 5)

or “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (Romans 12:10)

or “Serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13)

or “Make your love increase and overflow for each other.” (I Thessalonians 3:12)

and “Be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2;Col 3:13)

and Greet one another with a holy kiss…” (Romans 16:16; 1 Cor 13:12;16:20;1Pet 5:14).

(ii). Encourage one another daily by having a GRACIOUS and FORGIVING attitude to your brothers and sisters in Christ!

“Live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:16)

and “Stop passing judgment on one another.” (Romans 14:13)

and “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you” (Romans 15:7: Gal 5:15)

and “Be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9:50)

and “Be kind and compassionate to one another…” (Ephesians 4:32)

and “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5:26)

and “…Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.” (Colossians 3:13;Eph 4:32)

and “…Instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14;Col 3:16)

and “…Admonish one another (Colossians 3:16)

and “…Do not slander one another.” (James 4:11)

and “Don’t grumble against each other…” (James 5:9)

(iii). Encourage one another daily by being a SUPPORTIVE and AVAILABLE PRESENCE towards your brothers and sisters in Christ!

“…Have equal concern for each other.” (I Corinthians 12:25; 11:33)

and “Carry each other’s burdens…” (Galatians 6:2)

and “Wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14)

and “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” (Ephesians 5:19)

and “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)

and “In humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)

and “Do not lie to each other…” (Colossians 3:9)

and “Confess your sins to each other” (James 5:16)

and “Pray for each other.” (James 5:16)

and “Live in harmony with one another…” (I Peter 3:8)

and “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (I Peter 4:9)

and “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others…” (I Peter 4:10)

and “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…”(I Peter 5:5)

and “Honour one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)

and “Spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24).

And in connection with this last thought we can see how this works out in a very tangible way with respect to belonging to Church and coming to worship and regularly engaging in fellowship!

Take for example the command in Hebrews 10:25 to “not give up meeting together as is the habit of some but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching ” (Heb. 10:25). Now there are many seemingly understandable and legitimate reasons why people stop attending church - work challenges; family problems, etc - but the ideal is regular attendance at worship in fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ. Why? BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS A PLACE WHERE WE ARE MEANT TO GROW AND BE NURTURED IN OUR FAITH!

“In Scripture, Jesus redefines family by turning the idea of family as merely blood relatives on its head — “Who are my mother and my brother?...“Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”(Mark 3:31-35). Jesus has brought us together as a new family of God, no matter how different we may be from one another. We were made to live in community, and as followers of Jesus our goal is to live in deep, rooted community that is equally honest about the challenges and hopeful about the beauty of such an endeavour.”(John Mark Comer).

As the family of God at WCF we need to take time each week to be together formally and for most of us, this takes place on a Sunday BUT this is perhaps not the best time for interactive fellowship where we can encourage one another and pray and support one another. This is why we have LIFE GROUPS where we can get between 6-12 people together in different locations to share life together, loving and supporting each other as we study scripture and pray together in order to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”(2 Peter 3:18).

“Rooting ourselves in the Christian community is essential. Endurance in prayer, fostering positive mindsets, and taking tangible actions serve as our training ground. Success in life requires us to bend our knees in prayer.” ― Norbertus Krisnu Prabowo

2. We are to ENDIFY one another!

Edification refers to BUILDING UP people. We encourage people by BUILDING THEM UP in their faith!

The concept of building each other up or edifying each other comes from the Greek verb οἰκοδομέω which us used to refer to the building of a house(e.g. Matt. 7:24, 26). It was the word Jesus used of building his church (Matt. 16:18), and it is applied to the growth of the church in Acts 9:31 and Paul employs the word in respect to believers being built up into a temple of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 3:9–17, Eph. 2:21–22).

Paul credits the Thessalonians for the way they are encouraging and edifying each other and he encourages them to continue to do this!

EDIFICATION is NURTURE! We BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP by helping people to grow in their faith !

And teaching scripture and encouraging people to develop an appetite to read and study and memorise Scripture is central to this - 1 Peter 2:2-3 “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

We are to “let the Word of Christ dwell in (us) richly”(Col. 3:16) and as a Church we should be seeing the emergence of mature Christians who in turn can encourage and and build others up in their faith as they teach others (Rom. 15:14; Eph. 4:11-16; 2Tim. 2:2; Heb. 5:11-14).

And when we are gathering together we want to encourage you to listen carefully; to be open to learn and desirous of change and growth in grace and knowledge so that we move from being “babes in Christ”(1 Cor 3:1) into maturity so that our spiritual growth may not be stunted - Heb 5:11-14 “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

So be eager to learn and ask questions; to participate and and study hard(1 Cor. 14:26; Acts 19:9 - Grk: 'dialogema' is translated 'had discussions.”).

To see what this looks like, let’s turn for a moment turn to Acts 2:42-47

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Remember the exhortation from Hebrews 3:13 for daily encouragment, it is rendered so much easier by regular fellowship and in the early church they prioritised fellowship on a daily basis.

(i). Their daily meetings together for spiritual praise and edification as well as physical sustenance

Note: “the breaking of bread” - Not just the taking of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper but also the eating of a meal, sometimes referred to as a “love feast”! (1 Cor. 11:33, 34) - is a reminder to us that Church is not merely a formal gathering of believers at set times for set worship but an everyday interaction where we seek to build one another up.

As a Church we seek to do this! I guess if you look at an average week in our church there is hardly day when fellowship is not available in some form or other - Our WhatsApp groups; our commitment to daily prayer for one another; our Cafe and cleaning rota; our Life Groups, etc are all evidence of how this translates for us in our everyday life in Whitby in 2025!

(ii). Note also that reference to their praising God with glad and sincere hearts, carries the idea of praise that is unhindered by anything hard in the heart!

This noun is derived from an adjective which means “without a stone,” hence something that is perfectly smooth and without hinderance. Metaphorically, it refers to a condition that is undisturbed by anything contrary so praising God was the natural expression of their hearts which dominated their thinking and emotions and was unhindered by any sin of indifference or spiritual apathy, because they found supreme blessing and purpose in Jesus!

So, being together and encouraging it as much as possible is so important because our spiritual development is intended by Jesus to take place in a community of like-minded followers of Christ, where we develop deep, authentic relationships of accountability that enable us to transform our lives to become more like Jesus.

“As the church, we are in community together trying to fulfil this Great Commission that Jesus left us with. As we gently press into each other, we form one united thing, His church. As we work together, sharing the space God gives us to do His work, we all become shaped a little different. We all become a little more like Him.” ― Jennifer L. Lane, Faith Adventures: Stories of Learning with an Unseen God.

So let me call you to a continued commitment to encourage one another and build each other up just as you are indeed doing!